Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-09
GOV. LEES WORK.
AN OFFICIAL APPEAL FOR A RESPITE
FOR PUEYEAR.
Assessment OF Railroads-Appointment Of
Commissioners in the Matter Of
Jamss-River Dams.

on hour or more IN this work without
fully completing it So far as they
have proceeded they have made no ma
tefial changes upon the figures of last
year. Al the railroad companies in
the state pay their dues promptly in
currency except the Baltimore and
Ohio. This great corporation, having
number OF important branches in Vir-
ginia, pays the taxes due on them in
coupons, and have so done for years.
In fact, they led in the movement OF
standing OH the tender "A process
Iy which, under the United States
courts decision, the offer to pay in
coupons discharges the dObt to the
State.
| DAMS ~ JA,iES RIVER.
| The DjSp0tch few weeks ago pub
lished an act of Assembly providing
for the destruction of the dams III
James river under certain provisions
and safeguards As required 50 to do,
the Board of Public Works yesterday
| appointed as commissioners 10 see to
the execution Of the law Hon. W. G.
Dabney, member Of the House from
hlbemarle county, but whose term IL
about to expire Hon. Paul G. Ed
munds, senator from Halifax, and T.
ID. kirkpatrick, Esq, of Rockbridgc.
The law says:
The said commissioners shall cenfer
with the said receivers or their success
sOTs, and all parties who have grants or
leases Of watcr-powe-, who shall fur
n;sh them with all needful information,
and the said commissioners shall deter
mine which Of the said dams should be
| destroyed on removed and which shOuld
be retained, and shall report the result
Of their examination, 50 far as APP
proved and confirmed in the manner
| hereinafter provided, to the Board of
! Public Works. The said commits
sioncls shall also, with the advice OF
| such member of the State Board OF
Health or any doctor of medicine
as may he designated by the Gov
crnOr for the performance OF such duty,
| decide and instruct the said receivers
| or their successors as to the season OF
the year when the destruction or re-
| moV0l of such dams shall be effected.
Upon such report being made to the
| Board Of Public Works the said re-
cciyCrs or their Successors. the Rich
monl and Allegheny Railroad Com.
pauy, or any successor company, shall
| lee authorized and empowered to re-
move or destroy the dams or any OF
| them determined and reported as pr1c-
ticablc md proper to he removed as
| above set forth and if the same be re-
moved and ddestroyed in conformity with
the terms OF this net, then neither the
receivers nor the Richmond and Allie
ehany Railroad Company nor its sue
Ccssor company shall be responsible or
liable for ary damages which may be
claimed to result from such destruction
or removal, except such damages as
may be awarded for the condemnation
of Watcr-grants and leases as hcrcinaf-
ter provided. Nothing in this act shall
he construed as relieving the Richmond
aud Allegheny Railroad Company from
its duty imposed by its charter "t9
maintain the present Watcr-supply OF
the docks and of the canal along its
line between Eoshcr's dam and tide
water and along the Lynchburg levOl
between the wator-wOrks dam above
Iynchburg and the first lock be
low Lyrdiburg"; nor to permit
the destruction OF any dams used or
needed for supplying said levels; nor
as interfering with rights OF sad COM
panv to sell or lease water-power on
said levels The commissioners shall
hold Office during the pleasure of the
Board of Public Works, and shall re-
ceiye as compensation four dollars each
for a time not exceeding thirty days,
and their medical adviser ten dollars
for each day not exceeding five days,
tkey shall be engaged III the discharge
OF their duties; which compensation
shall be paid 10y the receivers of the
Richmond and Allegheny railroad or
! their successors. who shall also furnish
the commissioners and their medical ad-
wiser with free transportation to and
from the place Of performing their du-
ties.
There are g great many other pro-
visions in the act, which will be found
in full in the DispGtch of June 9TH. 1t
was passed by and with the assent OF
the Richmond and Allegheny Railroad
Company, which is thereby relieved
from maintaining a great numoer OF
iish-hdders.
CASE or THE WIFE-MUHpEREE PURYEAR.
The Governor yesterday received the
following, but took no action thereon
PRINCE GEORGE COURTHOUSE, VA, I
June u, 1887.
10 His ErccNOlcy Fii,hu9h Ice, COZ
crHoT Of virginia.:
Dear Sir,-In the case of the Com
monwealth cs Holmes Il. Puryear tho
Judge of the Circuit Court of Prince
George sentenced the prisoner to be
executed on the 10Th day Of July, 1887.
There is now pending in the County
Court of said county (Which convenes
on the Nth of july contest over the
election Of sheriff. The case will most
certainly he tried at that time, and trial
of that and ether cases will likely con
sumo several days. am the qualified
sheriff OF the county and my services
will be needed in attendance upon
the court, which wsuld prevent me
from attending to conveying the
prisoner from the jail in Petersburg, |
where lie is confined, to Prince George |
Courthouse, the place of his execution.
In view Of this, coupled with the fact |
that although have the certificate OF
election would dislike exceedingly to
execute a criminal whilst my election
was being contested, l respectfully |
and urgently request your Excellency
to grant the prisoner q respite OF sixty |
or ninety days, within which time the
title TO the Office OF sheriff will be de-
termined and q time may be designated
for the execution which will not con-
flict with the courts.
Judge Hancock, of course, could not
foresee this difficulty when the 18th of
July was determined upon. Hoping |
that your Excellency will appreciate
the peculiar embarrassments of the |
situation, particularly if the contest
should be decided adverse to my claim,
and inasmuch as no damage can be
done by allowing the unfortunate man
n few more days to prepare for the
eternity to which he is rapidly hasten
ing, hope you will grant the respite